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Friday, April 19, 2013

Road trip!

Family Fun Adventure Day! Today the need for excitement took Luna and I to America's Birthplace: Colonial Williamsburg and the Yorktown Battlefields!

These are a few of my happy places. These are the destinations that I never get tired of because I find something new every time I go. So I'm sure it comes as no surprise that we have had annual passes to Williamsburg since we first moved to the area. In fact it might have been one our first purchases when we settled in :) I know I am a history nerd. I can't help it, some people like to visit the Mall of America every summer, I like historical areas. Although I would not mind a trip to Minnesota too. lol.

Here are some pictures that I took of Lu and the historical area of Williamsburg.

Luna is in front of the historical Eastern State Hospital, a.k.a. the Eastern Lunatic Asylum, a.k.a. America's first loony bin! How appropriate. Lu at the loony bin.

The next photo is in front of Josiah Chowning's. Mr. Chowning opened his tavern in 1766 to "appeal to the ordinary lot" and they certainly still do; I got a sandwich. lol. The restaurant is even better at night when they turn it into a family friendly, but still fun, tavern with games and drinking songs and yummy beer. The Union flag flying means that the English are still in control of Williamsburg. It changes through the weeks to show how far along they are in the Revolution. The actors really get into it when you point the flags out to them!

And the last picture is of the Governor's Place. It is a beautiful and dramatic recreation house that should really be seen. The foyer alone is worth the trip. Fun fact: Both Thomas Jefferson and Patrick Henry lived here. You know Mr. Henry, the founding father who said "Give me Liberty, or give me death!" I think I just heard a collective 'Oh yeah that guy.'

Then there was the round magazine, it housed the ammunition for the town. The courthouse is the red building on the right. It is one of the original buildings that has stood since the 18th century. They even have stocks and pillory out front for photo shoots and sometimes actors being "punished" by the court. The little white house is either the printer & bookbinder's shop or the tailor's shop. I do not remember. Notice the flag. Red coats still have control. Damn lobsters! (I love getting in character along with the actors!)

After lunch and quick nap in the shade for Lu, we went further down the Colonial Parkway to Yorktown.

Lu wanted to explore all of this land so badly, I almost had to jog to keep up with her. These battlefields are the same bunkers and trenches that were used by the British, Americans and French in the Revolution, and both the Union and Confederate Armies during the Civil War. It is wild to think about the events that arose here in two wars separated by less than 80 years. It is sad but beneficial to visit places like this. You learn so much more when you actually get to see and somewhat experience these things. They have volunteer unit reenactments in the main battlefield all the time. Check it out sometime, It is really neat to see how both men and women lived in the camps during the battles. Complete with horses, tents, food and gun demonstrations. Kids love it, especially the adult ones!

I love these places. I love all of the culture and history that is here. One day you can learn more about the real Pocahontas in Jamestown and the next you can have a conversation with Mary Washington in Williamsburg. I would be very content with living in one of the recreation historical houses and absorbing everything that I could all day, every day. Hey, you can live where ever you want after retirement right? wink,wink!